January 28, 2009

The Superpowers That Time Forgot! (Part 4)

The NOT So Familiar Abilities of SUPERMAN!

Telepathic mind control and shape shifting? Check. Police radio broadcasting voice? Check. Super-antiquing breath? Check. What's next? How about the eerie ability of Superman to feign physical death? Beginning as early as 1940, Superman would occasionally stop the beating of his heart to simulate a death-like state. This unsettling superpower was never really explained in any way until Superman #118 (1958). In "The Death of Superman", we find the Man of Steel captured by an evil impersonator and kept helpless by a kryptonite-tinged glass slipper (don't ask).

(click on the panels for a larger view)

Not so fast, Superman Impersonator! Three pages later, a decidedly non-dead Superman crashes the crime syndicate's party and offers an explanation for his "death"...

So "super muscular control" was not only the key to feigning death, but also to its opposing (and equally creepy) bonus power of super-loud heart throb!

Comments

You know, I vaguely recall a "World's Finest" issue in the mid to late 80s where this was a plot point of some importance, so I guess this power wasn't always forgotten. Something about Supes using this power to escape an alternate dimension (dang, I wish my mother hadn't made me sell all my comics back in Jr. High).

I like the meteor of "imitation Kryptonite" too. Either it's a product made by some alien practical joke company, or something like Iron Pyrite (fool's gold)is to real gold. But calling it imitation Kryptonite is almost as goofy as the heart control superpower. HA!

To better set the context, this story took place back when Kryptonite was as plentiful as Crackerjacks. In fact, there was a story where Clark Kent found a tiny chunk of Red Kryptonite IN a package of Crackerjacks while watching a movie! I've been desperately trying to find that particular story (I know I have it in my collection somewhere), but I've drawn a blank so far. Truly one of the most insane panels of the Silver Age (which is really saying something).

Oh, this one is fantastic. Not because he can stop his heart, which is by itself, eh, okay. But that they have to explain it as Super Muscular Control is great. That he then feels the need to prove his point with Super Heart Throbbing is hilarious. Why does Superman have such a need for approval? You're obviously alive, what do you have to prove?

The fake kryptonite is great too, what a lame cop out. "That sure was lucky of you Superman. Excuse me while I repeat my entire plan but this time with real Kryptonite."

I like the meteor of "imitation Kryptonite" too. Either it's a product made by some alien practical joke company...

What just occurred to me is that Superman himself might make imitation Kryptonite, and flood the black market with it! If the fake stuff could only be distinguished from the real stuff by exposing an actual Kryptonian to it, that could be really effective!

Imagine if you're a crook using Kryptonite for your big heist... but you're not *sure* it will even work!

Huh... So Superman was the one harassing the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart".
You know, in a good story, the possibility of the Kryptonite being fake would have been established earlier but the Silver Age was king of Deus Ex Machina endings.

I'm pretty sure that Superman #226 was the issue with the red-K-in-the-Crackerjacks story.

There were plenty of stories in which Superman or Supergirl feigned death by controlling their heartbeats. I wouldn't call it a forgotten super-power, but it's definitely one that was eliminated after the John Byrne reboot.